Hi Kenichi-- in answer to your question--
Relational database is a system of tables which
refer to each other or contain rows and columns
which are database entries.
The system was invented by a mathematician named Codd
who was interested in certain mathematical properties
of the system.
As it has developed, these tables are now set up and
queried with the SQL language.
I believe that a principal reason RDB has caught on, however,
is that the programmer can't embezzle (steal money)
or do other dishonest programming without it being obvious.
In any case, this has become the principal database method
of the world. More recently, "object-oriented" databases
are becoming popular, but they are far less standard. And
"flat file" databases are simpler (ASCII text separated with
tabs, CRs, etc.). ZigZag uses a hash database, which is
a fast lookup for strings associated with other strings.
Remember-- standardization is a POLITICAL question.
In every standards fight (and all standards discussions are
fights), there are winners and losers. The losers have
wasted months, perhaps years, gaining skills or investing
company resources in systems that will not be used.
I see ZigZag as completely different. ZigZag is a principled
system of interconnection and viewing bydimension. It can
be used for database, but also for many other things, including
interfaces.
That's all I have time to write on the subject.
However, I have RDB books at my office that I can lend you.
Best, Ted
At 07:20 PM 10/24/98 +0900, you wrote:
>
>I recently knew about RDBMS (Relational DataBase Management System).
>Do you know that?
>If you do, do you find any difference between zigzag and RDBMS?
>
>I know zigzag is not database, it's environment, but I think it's the
>same
>thing with the concept of hypertext.
>
>Hypertext is also the environment, but in another point of view,
>it's world-wide distributed database system.
>
>I need to explain to some guys how different zigzag and RDBMS.
>I'm striving to do, but I can't have a clear idea.
>
>Or can it be compatible with each other?
>What I want to do is to get a clear explanation that how different, and
>what the good/bad point are there.
>
>Any idea?
>--
>-------------------------
>Ken'ichi Unnai > $B1@Fb7r0l(B
>cloud@xxxxxxxxxx
>http://www.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~t95129ku/
>Environmental Information Department of Keio University, Japan
>
>
>
>
>
____________________________________________________
Theodor Holm Nelson, Visiting Professor of Environmental Information
Keio University, Shonan Fujisawa Campus, Fujisawa, Japan
Home Fax from USA: 011-81-466-46-7368 (If in Japan, 0466-46-7368)
Professorial home page http://www.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~ted/
_____________________________________________________
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PERMANENT E-MAIL: ted@xxxxxxxxxx
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Quotation of the day, 98.10.26:
"There's no right or wrong in loving a person. The love is there,
and that's that.."
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